NJ-THE MEETING PLACE

New Jersey Business, Dec 01, 2003 by Prior, James T

Crowne Plaza, which averages 40 percent in revenues from small- and mid-sized business meetings, developed The Place to Meet package to tap into this smaller meeting market. Kevin Kowalski, vice president of marketing at Crowne Plaza Hotels and Resorts, says, "Meeting planners told us that no national hotel brand is effectively catering to the needs of the small- to mid-sized meeting segment these meetings get lost in big hotels. We have the commitment and have put in the resources to ensure that our meeting services product is better than any other brand."

The 194-room Radisson Hotel Englewood in Bergen County has two elegant ballrooms and three executive boardrooms, which provide 5,000 square feet of flexible meeting and banquet space for groups of 10 to 275 people. A spokeswoman says that corporate demand for meeting space has increased in recent months. She says business conferences at the Radisson here have the benefit of state-of-the-art audio/visual equipment, including video-conferencing capabilities. "Our expert staff provides creative suggestions and delivers unparalleled event support," she adds.

The 256-room Headquarters Plaza Hotel, Morristown, according to Serge Leone, general manager, has 35 meeting rooms and four ballrooms. The 20-year-old hotel offers complete meeting services and a dedicated meeting coordinator. There is an on-site audiovisual

department, a business center with built-in teleconferencing facilities and 10 hightech amphitheaters.

The Robert Treat Hotel, directly opposite the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, features the TriState Ballroom, the largest of its kind in northern New Jersey, with 12,000 square feet - capable of accommodating up to 1,500 people. Together with the grand Crystal Room and six other conference rooms, the Robert Treat is a hotel of choice when it comes to meetings.

The Hilton, Hyatt, Marriott and Sheraton banners fly high over New Jersey and beckon the business community to their meeting facilities.

Here are the top Hiltons for business meetings:

The 304-room Hilton Short Hills, New Jersey's only AAA Five-Diamond hotel and restaurant, has a grand ballroom of 5,100 square feet, which can be divided into three rooms. It has 19 meeting rooms.

The 355-room Hilton Hasbrouck Heights has some 7,340 square feet of exhibit space, a 5,824 square-foot main ballroom and a 4,300 square-foot hallroom.

The 378-room Hilton Newark Airport has a 24-hour Business Center, high-speed Internet access and an around-the-clock shuttle to Newark Liberty International Airport. Its largest meeting room is over 3,000 square feet.

The 253-room Hilton Newark Gateway has a 4,418 square-foot banquet room and a 2,728 square-foot one.

The 510-room Hilton Parsippany has a 10,080 square-foot ballroom and a 4,032 square-foot ballroom.

The 338-room Hilton Woodcliff-foot amphi-Lake has a 6,000 square theater that seats up to 300 people. High-speed Internet accesses is also available. Its largest meeting room measures 7,200 square feet.

The 405-room Hilton East Brunswick is an exceptional conference site, where meetings for 10 to 2,000 can be planned. its largest room is 14,940 square feet and its second largest is 12,960 square feet.